Global: NYT hits record subscriber growth

New York Times Co says it has had the best quarter for subscriber growth in its history, fuelled by continued interest in the new administration of President Donald Trump, although the company warned the pace of growth would slow in the second quarter.

The media company said paid digital subscriptions reached 2.2 million in its first quarter, an increase of 348,000 from the previous period. The gain included 40,000 new crossword subscriptions.

Overall, the New York Times reported 3.2 million total subscribers, which includes digital, print and crossword products, compared with about three million at the end of last year.

The boost in subscribers comes as many media companies, from cable news outlets to newspapers, have enjoyed audience growth as a result of interest in the 2016 presidential race and the early days of Trump’s administration. The Times reported an increase of 296,000 new digital-only subscriptions in the fourth quarter last year, which included November’s election.

Times executives said it was not clear, however, how retention rates could be affected as the passions surrounding the election subside.

Lack of confidence in brand safety measures

Only 27 per cent of US media buyers and planners confidently say they are informed of the brand safety measures for their ads, according to research from Vibrant Media.

The data suggests 33 per cent do not feel informed and 15 per cent either feel partly informed or informed from certain vendors.

Even more alarming, when asked how informed they were about ad vendors’ brand safety measures, 24 per cent of media buyers and planners failed to answer the question, which could suggest an unwillingness to admit their lack of brand safety knowledge, per the analysis.

Iranian media owner killed

Iranian media owner Saeed Karimian was shot and killed in Istanbul at the weekend in what Turkish media described as a targeted killing.

Karimian was among a group of Iranian citizens given prison sentences in absentia by the Iranian government earlier this year for alleged spying. An advertisement that appeared in the official newspaper of Iran’s judiciary about three months ago also alleged. Karimian spread propaganda against the state and violated national security.

Media company GEM Group announced the death of its founder and director on its official Facebook page. The statement called Karimian “the great man of Iranian media,” but did not elaborate on the circumstances of his death.

Turkish media reports said masked assailants drove up to the vehicle that was taking Karimian and a Kuwaiti business partner through an Istanbul neighbourhood. The attackers escaped after shooting into the car, Turkish newspapers and broadcasters reported.